Joints of chain or like members



June 28, 1932.

O. S. PENN JOINTS OF CHAIN OR LIKE MEMBERS Filed Aug. 23, 1930 PatentedJune 23, 1932 OSCAR STYLES PENN, OF MALEVV,

ENGLAND, ASSIGNOE TO ROADLESS TRACTION, ,jj

LIMITED, F HOUINSLOVI, IEIDDLESEX, ENGLAND, A. COMPANY OF GREAT BRITAINJDINTS 0F CHAIN OR LIKE MEMBERS Application filed August 23, 1930,Serial No. 477,404, and in Great Britain September 4, 1929.

This invention relates to improvements in joints in which a number ofseparate links are connected to one another to form a chain, and isespecially adapted for endless tracks for vehicles.

More particularly the invention is concerned with an improvement in ormodification of the invent-ion disclosed in my United States Patent No.1,724,961 in which is described an endless track wherein the usual formof pin or metal oint is dispensed with and rubber or other resilientmaterial is employed to give the necessary articulation of the links,the working of the joints being obtained by the flexure of the rubberwhich takes up the movement between adjacent links.

One prime object of the invention is to provide novel reaction blocks toremove stress due to vertical load.

Another important object is to provide a novel construction wherein thenumber or" resilient blocks which must be employed are reduced andwherein the construction generally facilitates assembly of the parts.

Further details of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription and the claims appended hereto.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whi h-Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of track, Figures 2 and 3being respectively a. transverse section on the line TTH and a plan viewof Figure 1.

* Referring specifically to the drawing, two types of link members areemployed, one type comprising an upper part or tooth 1 and a lower partor ground plate 2. The other form of link is designated 3 and affordsrollor surfaces or paths. Each lower part or ground plate 2 hasupstanding lugs 4 in which pin holes 5 are provided for the reception oflocking pins 6 which secure the upper section or track tooth 1 to theground plate 2. The

r track tooth 1 has lugs 7 interfltted with the lugs 1 and which alsohave pin holes for the passage of the said locking pins.

The link 3 has surfaces 3, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and on these surfacesthe rollers run which support the weight of the machine.

Intermediate these surfaces the material of the link 3 is flangeddownwardly and horizontally so as to form an approximate Z section asindicated at 9 in Fig. 1.

As shown, the ground plates are preferably provided with inwardlyinclined sides 10, but they may be vertical or inclined outwards. Themembers 2 house the main rubbers 11, through which the downward load dueto the weight of the machine is transmitted from the roller surfaces orpaths to the ground plates and thence to the ground. A central rubber 12is mounted between each pair of adjacent links 3 and is held in positionby a flange 13 on the underside of the track tooth 1.

There are essentially three rubbers, two main and one central rubber buteach of these may be subdivided into two or more pieces. It will beappreciated that the centre or reaction rubber is relieved of allvertical load due to the weight of the machine, and that by varying itsvolume and vertical position, the point of flexure of the joint may bead justed.

It will be observed that the lower parts 2 of the shoe members havesubstantially horizontal bottom walls and substantially verticalconfining walls to support the outer blocks 11. The link members 3 havebody portions resting on the outer blocks 11 and have their extremitiesspaced by these outer blocks from the horizontal bottom walls of thelower shoe members 2, the extremities of the link members being formedas horizontal flanges or edge portions which extend in parallel relationto the body portions and underlie the inner blocks 12. The verticalflange portions connecting the horizontal flanges to the body portionsof the link members serve to separate the inner and outer blocks 12 and11, and the flanges 13 constitute abutments on the upper shoe membersbetween which and the horizontal flanges the inner blocks 12 areconfined.

What I claim is 1. In an endless track, the combination of a series oflink members on which roller surfaces are formed, said members beingformed with downwardly extending flanges having horizontally disposededge portions, a second series of link members, said second link membersbeing associated with the first link members and each comprising anupper and a lower part, said lower parts being formed 5 with upwardlyextending sides, the flanges of said first link members extending downinto the spaces between the upwardly extend ing sides of lower parts ofadjacent second link members, and blocks of resilient material includinginner blocks and outer blocks on opposite sides of the inner blocks, allof said blocks being housed in said second link members, the outerblocks being disposed respectively between said upwardly extending sidesand the adjacent downwardly extending flanges to hold the first linkmembers directly out of contact with the second link members andoperatively to connect them for pivotal movement, the inner blocks beingpositioned between and held in place by contact with said upper parts,the downwardly extending flanges of adjacent first link members, and thehorizontal edges of said flanges.

2. An endless track member comprising a number of separate linksconsisting of shoe members and link members proper, and blocks ofresilient material including an inner block and outer blocks on oppositesides of the inner blocks for holding the shoe and link members out ofmetallic contact, the said shoe members comprising detachably securedupper and lower portions, the lower portions having horizontal bottomwalls and substantially vertical confining walls to support the outerblocks, said link members having body portions resting on the outerblocks and having their extremities spaced thereby from said horizontalbottom walls, said extremities being horizontal flanges, extending inparallel relation to the body portions and underlying the inner blocks,verticalflange portions connecting the horizontal flanges to the bodyportions of the link members and separating the inner and outer blocks,abutments on the upper shoe members, the inner blocks being confinedbetween said abutments and the above mentioned horizontal flanges, andclearances between the body portions of the links and the shoe members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname this 13th day of August, 1930.

OSCAR STYLES PENN.

